Skimmer selection help needed as well.

I copy and pasted this out of my other thread but here's the low down on the tank I'm planning on setting up.  I was really liking the reviews I heard on the ATI bubblemaster skimmers and was thinking about going with the 200 but they seem to be having issues getting things shipped overseas.
In sump or external is fine with me either way.
Not 100% sure
on the tank yet. It will either be a 50 gal. breeder 36x18x18 or it
will be a custom made tank that's 36x24x20" tall. The price of the
custom tank is all that's really holding me back. I plan on having a
pretty big sump setup. This is kind of what I was planning on as of
right now.
1. Water will overflow from the tank and go to the basement

2. water will enter a 29 gal tank with a filter sock on it. Tthis tank
will also have a hole drilled in the bottom of it with a ball valve and
will serve as my water change tank. Just turn the ballvalve to empty
and fill back up.
3. after the 29 gal tank the water will
flow into another tank (not sure what size yet, prob. either a 75 gal.
or 125 depending on what I can find at the time) where the first
chamber will hold the skimmer.

4. after the skimmer chamber it will flow into the refugium portion of
the sump, I want this to be as large as possible. I plan on having
cheato in it as well as mangroves
5. then back to the return area where there will be an auto top off of some kind.

6. After things start growing out I also plan on hooking up a 50 gal.
stock tank for a frag tank similar to what waverz has setup.

 

Posted By slovan on 01/11/2008 8:59 AM
So you're looking at ~200 gallons max?  There has been a flood of new skimmers on the market in the past 6 months or so.  I haven't kept up much with the BM skimmers lately.  Do they still skim really wet?  I think that was the biggest complaints about them and everything else was pretty minor.
I don't know what your budget is but the ATB skimmers have been getting pretty good reviews.  The KZ Revolution is another good one.  Allen has a BK 200 mini and I don't think he's impressed with it.  In fact, I think he's looking at getting something else.  The SWC Xtreme skimmers is still pretty new and the jury is still out on them. 
Then there's always H&S and Deltec.  Gotta love skimmers, there's so many to choose from! /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0">  Oh, you could also go with an Octo.  Those seem to be doing well over time.
I think you're just trying to confuse the hell out of me aren't you! /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0">
One of the things I've heard about the BM is if you don't have a heavy bioload then not to oversize your skimmer otherwise you have to skim really wet in order to get it to skim at all.  http://www.reefgeek.com/filtration/Protein_Skimmers/ATI_Bubble_Master/Bubble_Master_200_Protein_Skimmer_by_ATI
I was looking at the SWC Xtreme skimmers seeing as they use the same sicci pumps as the BM do.  Kinda waiting to hear how people are liking them first.   http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/Protein-Skimmers-MSX-Skimmers/c22_48/p133/MSX250/product_info.html
Also was looking at the DAS EX-2.   http://stores.petorama.net/Detail.bok?no=74
I would really like to stay under the $500 range if possible (noticed that the price of the BM 200 has gone up now)
Internal or External doesn't really matter to me.

 

Posted By einsteins on 01/11/2008 9:43 AM
Might want to look at the Trigger systems skimmers....I have one and it is great...it is external though if that matters

Here is a link... http://www.triggersys.com/protein_skimmers.html
I have the TS300 but for your system you could go with the TS150. I know PA carries them.
Quality is incredible!

One of the great things about these are that they cam be completely disassembled for cleaning....I cam tear mine down, clean it and have it back together in 20 minutes.

eins
Look like nice skimmers as well!  I don't have a lot of experience with the beckett skimmers though.  What pump are you running with yours? Are they hard to adjust and keep skimming good?  There's not much price difference between the 150, 300, and the 500.  I could prob. swing the 500 depending on the pump needed to run it.

 

That's one thing I didn't really like about the beckett skimmers was the $300 pump to run them. OUCH. Plus the fact that the wahoo you're running pulls 265 watts.

If I remember right the Sicce pumps only pull like 23 watts a piece or something like that?

 

Hey Eins have you ever run a needlewheel skimmer? Just kind of curious how you would compare the two and which one you actually prefer over the other.

 

I totally understand what you're saying. I've just never used a beckett skimmer before or for that matter even seen one running. I have heard that once you get them dialed in they'll pretty much outskim anything. The only negatives on see on that behalf are the $300 pump to run it and the energy consumption that they pull.

I have a quite a while before I'll be buying one anyway was just curious on what everyones opinions were on them.

 

This may be an option as well. 
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1290142

 

Posted By Wayne1 on 01/16/2008 5:08 PM
Check out the new "pro series" , I believe it is coming out in Feb.,, I suppose they are trying to keep up with the SWC extreme skimmer.. By the way it is a Octopus
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1290142&perpage=25&pagenumber=2
That's the same thread I posted right above yours! /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif  GOOD IDEA THOUGH! /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/hehe.gif

 

Posted By glaspie69 on 01/16/2008 6:11 PM
You could always buy mine when I'm ready to upgrade
That may be a possibility, I think I may end up with something a little bigger though that way I don't have to upgrade in the future.

 

Posted By Wayne1 on 01/18/2008 6:59 PM
Sorry about that. Have you been keeping up to date on that thread. It sounds like it's gonna cost 500.00
Do you still have connections to get skimmers? I haven't been following the last couple days I'll have to read up on it when I get some time.
And I may still have a few connections!   /site/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif